Culture and

Communication
 Vocabulary Words
Culture
the customary beliefs, values, and attitudes
of a racial, religious, or social group

What Hannah loves the most about traveling

is learning about other countries’ cultures.
 Vocabulary Words

Self-awareness
an understanding of one’s self and place in
society

Louis showed a lack of self-awareness of his

own privilege when he said that poverty would
be solved if the poor would just get jobs.
 Vocabulary Words

Exasperated
irritated or annoyed

James was exasperated by the noise his

classmates were making while they were
visiting a Buddhist temple for their field trip.
 Vocabulary Words

Intercultural communication
communication between individuals who have
different cultures

The job of a diplomat is to ensure that the

intercultural communication between state
dignitaries goes smoothly.
 Vocabulary Words

Taken aback
to be shocked or surprised, particularly by
something said or done to you.

Charlene was taken aback when her brother

announced that he was engaged to his girlfriend,
whom he had only been dating for six months.
Learn about It!

Culture
• the system of knowledge that is
shared by a particular group
composed of a relatively large
number of individuals
Learn about It!

Culture
• When you identify yourself as
being part of a particular culture,
you should not only share certain
characteristics with members of
that group,
 Learn about It!

Culture
• but you should also be able to observe
yourself and others like you who possess
these features and distinguish others
who do not have them as members of a
different culture.
 Learn about It!

Through communication with others,

culture is created, learned, and
shared. Without communication,
there is no way of preserving and
transmitting cultural characteristics
from one person, place, and time to
another.
 Learn about It!

In turn, our culture influences the

way we communicate with others.
Hence, there exists a dynamic
relationship between culture and
communication. This is known as
intercultural communication.
 Learn about It!

To engage in intercultural
communication, participants
should essentially understand the
concept of self-awareness.
Learn about It!

Self-awareness is essential for better

communication with others, especially
with those who are different from you.
Knowing who you are and in which
cultural and social group you belong will
enable you to relate better to others and
to show sensitivity to them.
 Learn about It!

Take a look at this example:

While eating at a noodle restaurant with her Japanese

host family, Jessica stuck her chopsticks into the bowl
while she took a break from eating in order to chat with
other children her age. She noticed that the children
looked uncomfortable, while the adults looked
displeased.
 As a senior high school
student, how does learning
about intercultural
communication prepare you
for possible study and career
opportunities abroad?
Gender and Age
Essential Question

In what ways can age and

gender affect
communication?
 Warm Up

Informal Debate

1.Divide the class between males and females.

2.Choose three members who will represent your team for
opening and closing statements and main arguments.
Questions following the main arguments can be addressed to
any member of the team.
3.The teams will debate based on the motion “Only men of any
age should give away their seats when women are inside a
moving vehicle.”
Warm Up

Informal Debate
“Only men of any age should
give away their seats when
women are inside a moving
vehicle.”
 Vocabulary Words

Communication style
(noun) - the way people express themselves or
how people communicate with others

Lawrence’s communication style involves a lot

of animated gestures.
 Vocabulary Words

Nonverbal communication
(noun) - communication that uses wordless
cues

When you’re not close to someone, you have to

rely largely on nonverbal communication to get
insight on how they’re feeling.
 Vocabulary Words

Acquaintance
(noun) - a person you know but are not yet
close with

He was just introduced to me at our group

study yesterday, so he’s only an acquaintance.
 Vocabulary Words
Social hierarchy
(noun) - how a society groups people based on
their occupation and income, wealth and social
status, or social/political power

The social hierarchy in the Philippines is highly

skewed in favor of the rich and politically powerful.
 Learn about It!

Gender
In general, men and women differ
in terms of their communication
style.
 Learn about It!

In men-only conversations, some

tend to dominate the
conversation, and they seldom
talk about their private lives.
 Learn about It!

On the other hand, in women-

only conversations, they usually
allow everyone to participate, and
they often talk about their
personal relationships.
 Learn about It!

Men Women
In women-only conversations:
In men-only conversations:
• Polite and affectionate
• Assertive and competitive
• Expressive
• Reserved
• Talk about one topic at
• Talk about different topics
length
• Need personal space
• Intimate
• Purpose: To provide
• Purpose: To build or
information
maintain relationship
 Learn about It!

Mixed Genders
In mixed-gender conversations:

• Men initiate the interaction.

• Men often interrupt the other person who is speaking.
Women usually allow an interruption.
• Men use fewer adjectives and intensifiers compared to
women.
Learn about It!
 Learn about It!

Age

People of different ages or generations may

have difficulty communicating with one
another. A person’s age or the generation to
which he or she belongs influences the way he
or she communicates with others.
Social Status
and Religion
 Vocabulary Words
Social status
(noun) - a person’s stand or position in
society
One of the biggest hurdles to getting married
is a difference in social status; most wealthy
families don’t wish for their children to marry
someone less well-off.
 Vocabulary Words

Religious belief
(noun) - belief in the existence of a
supernatural or spiritual aspect of religion

To most people in the Philippines, whether

Catholic, Christian, or Muslim, their religious
beliefs are a large part of their lives.
 Vocabulary Words
Ascribe
(verb) - to regard or attribute a trait or
position to someone

Many epics about Greek History and

Mythology are ascribed to Homer.
 Vocabulary Words

Hierarchy
(noun) - a system of organization wherein some
things are ranked above others

Even though the treatment of peers in school

should be fair, it can’t be denied that there’s a
harmful and persistent hierarchy based on cliques.
 Learn about It!

Social Status

• may affect the way we communicate with others

• can influence the way that person chooses his or
her peers
• Individuals are more likely to interact with others
of the same social standing as them.
 Learn about It!

Social Status

• There is likely to be a communication gap

between a person of higher status and that of
lower status since they differ in background,
education, income, and social habits, among
others.
 Learn about It!

Elements of Social Class

• Ascribed social class - determined at birth through

characteristics such as age, sex, race, and family
background

• Achieved social class - acquired through a person’s ability,

talent, skill, and perseverance; can be seen in one’s
educational attainment or occupation
 Learn about It!

Here are some examples of evidence of social status in some

cultures:

In South Korea, when having a group meal with coworkers, it is

impolite for the newest and youngest members to start eating
before the older or more senior employees. They must wait for the
oldest people to at least lift their utensils/chopsticks before they can
start eating.
 Learn about It!

In Thailand, the wai (as discussed in a previous lesson) is used to

show respect. However, the higher a person is in the hierarchy, the
lower a common person must bow. When bowing to the monks or
to royalty, civilians must put their hands together as though to pray
and bow very low, with their foreheads touching the tips of their
fingers. Monks and royalty do not need to return the wai to
common citizens.
 Learn about It!

Religion

Communication between persons belonging to different

religions may be a common source of intercultural conflict. This
usually arises when the participants engaged in a conversation
impose one’s religious views on others who may not share
those views. Being aware of religious differences and being
open to the religious views of others foster understanding and
mutual respect.
Religion
Learn about It! Beliefs

• Centered on non-violence
• Focuses on asceticism
Jainism • Practice very strict vegetarianism
• The aversion to killing is so central that practitioners will try
to avoid stepping on all plants and insects.

• The predecessor of Christianity

• Follow the teachings of the torah (holy book that predates
the bible; contains many of the same content as the old
Judaism
testament)
• They still celebrate the passover, which commemorates
God’s liberation of the Jews from Israel.
Religion Beliefs
• Devoted to life and embracing humanity’s innate
goodness
• The Japanese devotion to spirits called the kami, who
are believed to care about humanity and will bless
humans if they respect and revere them well.
• Shintoists have more localized rituals. Instead of
Shintoism congregating with other believers, Shintoists usually
have their own little shrines at home. They do,
however, visit the larger shrines around Japan during
New Year and other special occasions.
• This is not usually considered a religion but more of a
way of life, as there is no worship of a god or belief in
the afterlife. It coexists with Buddhism in Japan.
 Learn about It!

With these in mind, the foundation of intercultural

communication in terms of social status and religion lies in
respect for each others’ differences. Always be mindful of
what another person will feel when speaking about their
position in society or religious beliefs.
 Values Integration

How does taking social status and

religion into account help you
become a more respectful and
understanding person?